It sounds like Qualcomm's planning some changes to its Snapdragon 8 series. If you're anything like me, you've probably noticed that these chips are pretty much the go-to for high-end Android phones. But get this: there's talk of a "Pro" version that could really shake things up, and possibly make top-tier "Ultra" phones even pricier.

A reliable source is suggesting that Qualcomm's next chips might be the SM8975 and SM8950, supposedly using a new 2nm process. The interesting part? The SM8975 is said to have LPDDR6 support, a "full-fledged GPU," and a complete cache. However, all these advanced features come at a cost, as it's apparently very expensive to manufacture. I'd wager that some phone makers might choose the SM8950 for their non-Ultra models to keep prices reasonable.

Previously, there were hints that the chips would have a specific core setup. The SM8975 might become the "Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro" if Qualcomm sticks to its current naming pattern, though they often surprise us! The SM8950 could be the standard "Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6." As for a regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 6? It's still a mystery if that's even in the works.

The price is the thing. If the SM8975 is indeed as expensive as rumored, expect Ultra flagships to cost even more than they do now. While people are usually willing to pay extra for the best, there's a limit, right? At some point, demand could drop, making Ultra flagships too costly to produce and sell. That explains why other phones might stick with the SM8950.

Another thing adding to the price? LPDDR6 support on the SM8975. Because of ongoing issues, RAM is already expensive, and this new RAM standard will increase costs even further. If a phone uses the SM8975, companies would have to decide between LPDDR6 and older, cheaper RAM to keep prices reasonable, assuming the chip supports older RAM, which would make sense. If they chose to combine the SM8975 with LPDDR6, that would mean even higher prices for high end phones.

We're still months away from any official announcements, but, I'm hoping for good prices and sensible naming, but I'm not holding my breath.